Kamayah Riley, 5, rests atop her father Manuel Riley's shoulders as he they participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Protestors came to rally against the influence of corporate money in politics among a host of other issues, and in sympathy with the Occupy Wall Street protest. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Protestors came to rally against the influence of corporate money in politics among a host of other issues, and in sympathy with the 'Occupy Wall Street' protest. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10,...

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Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Protestors came to rally against the influence of corporate money in politics among a host of other issues, and in sympathy with the Occupy Wall Street protest. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10,...

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Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Having started in New York, Occupy Wall Streets demonstrations now take place all across the United States, as protesters speak out against corporate greed and the gap between the rich and the poor. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10,...

Image 21 of 28

Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Protestors rallied against the influence of corporate money and a host of other issues. Having started in New York, Occupy Wall Street demonstrations now take place all across the United States, as protesters speak out against corporate greed and the gap between the rich and the poor. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Protestors participate in an Occupy Oakland rally Monday, Oct. 10,...

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Alex Nguyen of Occupy SF offers Kerry Harris, 56, some water as the group of approximately thirty people gather at City Hall Plaza to march the streets and to occupy vacant building, Monday October 10, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. They are protesting that the vacant buildings should be used for housing the homeless.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Alex Nguyen of Occupy SF offers Kerry Harris, 56, some water as...

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Activist Matt Crain rolls himself a cigarette while waiting to march with the group of homeless and supporters from City Hall Plaza vacant buildings to occupy, Monday October 10, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. They are protesting the waste of vacant buildings that could be used for housing the homeless.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Activist Matt Crain rolls himself a cigarette while waiting to...

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Approximately thirty people homeless activists gather at City Hall Plaza and then march the streets to the Cathedral Hotel to occupy, Monday October 10, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. They are protesting the waste of vacant buildings that could be used for housing the homeless.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Approximately thirty people homeless activists gather at City Hall...

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Jeremy Miller, one of the organizers of Homes Not Jail gets ready to address the group to protest of homeless activists at City Hall Plaza, Monday October 10, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. " The landlords in San Francisco are criminally responsible for the people who die out here,"says Miller.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Jeremy Miller, one of the organizers of Homes Not Jail gets ready...

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Activist go to the roof of the Cathedral Hotel to occupy, Monday October 10, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif. Approximately thirty people homeless activists gathered at City Hall Plaza and then march the streets to the Cathedral Hotel to occupy to protest the waste of vacant buildings that could be used for housing the homeless.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Activist go to the roof of the Cathedral Hotel to occupy, Monday...

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Kerry Harris, 56, who has low blood sugar folds over in his wheelchair after getting sick of lack of food, while approximately thirty homeless activists gather at City Hall Plaza to march and occupy a vacant building as they declare in World Homeless Action Day, Monday October 10, 2011, in San Francisco, Calif.

OAKLAND -- Protesters in Oakland and San Francisco took to the streets Monday evening in bookend demonstrations over economic inequality, corporate excess and homelessness.

Hundreds of protesters poured into Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza late in the afternoon, joining a multi-city movement taking aim at Wall Street.

Teachers, nurses, families and the unemployed, among others, participated in the Occupy Oakland protest, carrying signs in front of an empty City Hall. The city offices were closed for a furlough day.

Asia Patterson, a 69-year-old, part-time convenience store clerk, showed up at the start of the 4 p.m. protest, saying he was marching in the name of his nephews, nieces and cousins who had been laid off.

"I need to get up and let my voice be heard," he said. "We have allowed the financial industry to get off the hook with their gambling. I'm fed up with it."

Two hours into the protest, a dozen participants set up tents and said they planned to settle in for a long stay.

Oakland bartender Dion Jardine, 27, said he would camp "until things change or they force us out."

A large number of police monitored the peaceful protest.

The East Bay protest followed the lead of Occupy Wall Street, Occupy SF and similar movements in other cities, where protesters camp out to voice a wide range of economic concerns.

Housing protest

In San Francisco, about 30 protesters met at City Hall to mark Homeless Action Day and show their support with the national "Occupy" movement.

A band played and participants carried red and black "Homes not Jails" flags, with demonstrators calling on the city to address the city's homeless population with available housing.

Just before 7 p.m., the protesters blocked traffic as they marched to the vacant Cathedral Hill Hotel at Van Ness Avenue and Geary Street, where they broke through a gate, bypassing two security guards, to enter the building.

Several demonstrators climbed to the roof and hung banners outside windows as police and private security guards arrived at the scene. "You'll see people sleeping outside places that are completely habitable," said protester Matt Crain, 41, who claimed he has squatted in empty buildings since he was 10. "We just accept the fact that profits are more important than people's comforts and people's lives."

The protesters were allowed to stay after security did a safety check through the building.

A group then split off and went to the former Charles Hotel at 1030 Geary St., where several planned to stay through the night as well.

No demands

In Oakland, however, demonstrators took a cue from other Occupy events, with organizers emphasizing that they had no specific demands or even a cohesive message, save frustration with the status quo.

"While we have much in common, we believe the people are stronger united behind many banners, rather than a single one," according to the website occupyoakland.org. "We want to make it very clear that Occupy Oakland is not putting forward leaders, tactical or strategic directives, or a uniform message or political platform."

Pam Smith, an Oakland veterinarian, said she was encouraged by the large turnout despite the daylong light rain.

"There seems to be an increasing awareness of these problems, of corporate profits coming before people's basic needs like jobs, health care, homes and education," said Smith, 51. "We need to fix the favoritism in government that favors corporations."

Police said they intended to allow the encampment to remain through the night. At least one City Council member supported that.

"It's about time people are speaking up," said Councilwoman Jane Brunner. "Wall Street is not taking responsibility for what it did, and 99 percent (of the people) are paying for it."